Where Angels Fear To Tread
by mydoctortennant
Summary: What would have happened had Lancelot not been at Hengist's... Arthur/Gwen
1. Prologue

**My first chaptered story for AGES! This is for the prompt 'relief' all Noodles wanted was a kiss. This is what I came up with, what would have happened if Lance hadn't been there!**

"Morgana!" finally she shut up, "Perhaps if you would stop shouting at me for one second you would notice that I am packing," Arthur pointedly shoved something into his bag, Morgana looked guiltily at the floor.

"You're going after Gwen?"

"Of course I'm going after her, what do you take me for? I couldn't disagree with Father in public," he looked at her, with a look that said a thousand words. She was more than his father's ward to her, she was a sister to him, albeit a rather good looking sister, but one all the same. He put his saddle sack over his shoulder and made a move to leave.

"Arthur?" he turned back to look at her, a cut grazing her brow, "Bring her home."

* * *

Gwen sat in her cell. Hengist had forced her through two hours of sword play. Not something she found all that enjoyable at the best of times, and especially not when she was being held against her will. There wasn't anything impressive about two men having a spat, even professionally.

"Morgana," Gwen shuddered at the sound of his voice, "You will join me for dinner," there was no point in denying him of this. If she did, he would only kill her sooner. She wanted to hold out hope that somebody, somewhere would save her. A pathetic wish, but something inside of her pleaded for Arthur to come blundering in, in his princely manner, and save her.

Not that it would happen, he had told her himself that his father would never understand, that nothing would ever happen between them.

* * *

"Why can't you just admit you're feelings for Gwen?" After nearly two days of being forced into no sleep and riding a horse non-stop Merlin had finally twigged on a reason. It wasn't all that absurd, since the jousting tournament he had noticed a change in Arthur, a small one, but it was there, and Gwen was even more unable to articulate her views of him than before.

The look, the embarrassed look at flushed Arthur's face told him all her needed to know. He was right. Merlin smiled to himself, "It's so obvious, a blind man could see it! Is it really that hard to admit you like her? Just say it."

"I can't!" Merlin hadn't been expecting that reply, Arthur to tell him was an idiot and to shut up maybe, but the hurt tone of his master's voice, the upset look at graced his face, "How can I admit that I think about her all the time; or that I care about her, more than anyone. How can I admit that I don't know what I'll do if any harm comes to her?"

"Why can't you?"

"Because _nothing_ can ever happen between us! To admit my feelings, knowing that, _hurts _too much," Merlin felt for his friend, he couldn't imagine what it was like to be in his position. He could tell him it would be okay, but would it really help? They had no way of knowing how long it would be until Arthur was king.

"Who's to say nothing can happen?"

"My father won't let me rescue a servant, do you honestly think he'll let me marry one?"

"You want to _marry_ Gwen?"

"No! No. I don't know!" Merlin raised his hands in resignation. He didn't want to cause an argument, "It's all talk, and that's all it can ever be."

"When you're king, you can change that."

"I can't expect Guinevere to wait for me," the respect her showed her, just by calling her by her full name rarely caving to her nickname, besides, Guinevere sounded royal, regal, the name of a queen.

"If she feels as you do," Merlin started, a stupidly wide grin spreading across his face, "She will wait for you."

"We don't even know if she is still alive."

"Nah, she is," he said, trying to convincing himself as well as Arthur, but if she was dead and gone there was no knowing how much of a prat Arthur would turn into if that weren't the case, "We will find her."

"Come on, we've got along trek ahead," he turned ready to resume their journey, "Oh and Merlin, if you dare tell _anyone_ any of this, I promise, I will make your life a living hell."

"Even more than you already do?"

"Yeah."

"We could talk about your feeling whilst we walked."

"Shut up, Merlin!"


	2. The Middle

A guard came for her a few hours after she woke. It felt like a lifetime. Allshe had to do was stare at the stone walls or fiddle with her Lady's cloak, not really the most interesting things to do, but they beat feeling sorry for herself.

He was rude, and brash and in need of a good washing, but Gwen couldn't' vocalise her thoughts, if she did she knew it would be the death of her. He grunted something then clasped iron cuffs around her wrists and pulled her on a chain down the corridor she knew led to the main event room, to the cage.

She was practically being dragged down the corridor; the guard's stride twice the size of hers, and with it she had to practically run, and when she didn't have the energy to keep u the pace she felt like her arms were being wrenched from their sockets.

"Morgana," Gwen was forced into the cage, "Morgana," she flinched, looking up at him, "I keep asking myself, 'Why does Uther not pay the ransom? He's a rich man'," his voice rasped, approaching her, Gwen daren't step back she didn't want to prove a weakness, "Why would he leave his beloved ward, to suffer a slow and terrible death?"

"I don't know, she stepped back away from him then, no longer able to control her fear of him, he was a big man, and she wasn't a huge girl. She felt like an ant against a Griffin, she didn't stand a chance, "Please," he grabbed one of her hands, her back up against the wooden poles of the cage walls.

"It must be very upsetting to know that Uther has abandoned you. It seems like no one in the world cares for you," and it certainly felt like it, in that moment, with the bearded villain breathing in her face.

"I don't know why he doesn't pay. Please I don't know," she just about managed over shaky breaths.

He backed away from her, letting her go, "Take her to her cell."

The guard opened the gate and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of the cage, lugging her through the winding corridor back to her prison.

"Bring Kendrick to me. Perhaps he can tell me why the Lady Morgana has the hands of a serving girl!" Gwen heard echo behind her. She visibly gulped, trying not to cry out at the pressure the guard was exerting on her arm. It wasn't long now, soon she would be dancing in the sky, with her father by her side.

Forced into her cell, Gwen tripped over the long tails of the dress she wasn't used to wearing. Her hands grating against the floor, she winced, crying out, she looked at her hands, the teller that she wasn't who she had been ordered to pretend to be. Servants hands.

She knew now that she wasn't going to last. Nobody was coming for her.

She crawled onto the bed, wrapping herself in Morgana's over-sized red cloak. Tears streaming down her face, she inhaled the faint trace of her Lady's scent. She curled into the only comfort she had, shutting her eyes against the world she no longer wanted to see. Sobs wracked her body, eventually allowing her to sleep.

* * *

Merlin looked up.

He gulped. Arthur was hell bent that they were going in there, he wasn't about to let Merlin's cowardice about climbing a vertical wall get in his way. Either Merlin came with him, or he left him behind. He wasn't stopping now they had gotten that far, Gwen meant far too much to a lot of people for that.

"You've got to be kidding me," Merlin whispered, looking to his right at his master.

"Then you stay. I'll see you when we get out," Arthur said, stubbornly setting off to climb the wall.

"Oh this isn't fair."

It took far too long for them to climb, so Merlin thought, his arms were shaking, and he didn't think he could make it much further.

Arthur seemingly look unaffected by the climb, his determination forcing him further and further up the wall. Merlin on the other had, was panting and dying for a drink.

"You really are completely useless aren't you Merlin?" Arthur reprimanded and his manservant appeared to slip for what felt like the hundredth time.

"It-" he lost his grip, nearly falling again, "It's harder than it looks."

Arthur rolled his eyes, and continued on his climb, Merlin didn't have much choice but to follow, they were so close to the top anyway.

"Oh! Now! Now you're just showing off!"

* * *

Gwen was forced awake when a pair of rough hands pulled her from the bunk she had been sleeping on. An indignant grumble escaped her lips, but she was forced to her feet against her will and ordered to walk.

The route was one that had begun to sink into her brain, she knew it now like the back of her hand. Not that she had had the time before this to examine the backs of he hands all that thoroughly, but with the added time of her hands, she didn't have much else to concentrate on other than death, missing her life and her hands.

Her hands that had betrayed her in the heat of the moment. The hands that told Hengist that she wasn't who he thought her to be. How he hadn't realised before then escaped Gwen. She was hardly the most noble of looking women, and she certainly didn't act like nobility, yet he had placed trust in his men and taken their word.

Gwen was greeting in the hall by a roar of cheers. Men griping at her. Whistles aimed in her direction. The guard threw her through the door of the wooden cage, laughing at her locked it behind her, tucking the key into a pouch attached to his trousers.

From where she had landed on the stone floor, Gwen nervously looked around the room, she had no idea what Hengist had in store for her, and she wasn't entire sure that she wanted to find out.

They sneaked a look around the corner, seeing a pair of guards playing Knock.

"You distract them," Arthur ordered for the second time that trip, last time he had been told off for knocking them out, and this time- "I'll knock them out," he just wanted the fun all for himself.

"How do I distract them?" instead of primanding him this time, Arthur drew him close, about to tell him what to do when he pushed him down the steps to the guards. They stood, scowls on their faces, they reached for their swords.

"What are you doing there?"

"Nothing. Me?" He circled, managing to get the guards backs to the way he had just come from, even if they were ready to run him through, "Actually, funny story. I was out walking and took a wrong turn and here I am," he smiled, "Do you know the way to the Vial of Dinaria?"

"Who are you?"

"Me?" He saw Arthur stand behind them, "I'm no one, it's him you should be worried about."

The confused guards turned to look just as Arthur punched them both square in the face knocking them out. He wiped his gloves, raising an eyebrow at Merlin, a mission accomplished.

"Release the Wildren!" Hengist shouted, the crowds of men cheered and jibed, sticking there hands into the cage to grab at Gwen. Anything to touch a pretty woman.

Gwen would have been backed into the cage wall if it wasn't for the sheer amount of hands she ran into the first time. One hand had managed to grab a fistful of material pulling her to him through the barriers.

She'd turned on him quickly, stepping away and slapping his hands away from her, which earned her a laugh from the crowds.

She had learnt from years in the castle how to keep her cool in situations such as that. Many a time she had had a drunken Knight grabbing at her skirts. She had often been saved by Arthur, long before anything had happened between them, with him ordering them home and apologising on their behalf.

She heard the loud grumbled of the monster as it crawled up the ramp into the cage.

Her breath shook. She couldn't stop this. She had no means of escape or defending herself, "Oh please God help me."


	3. The Other Bit Of The Middle

Having stripped the guards of their uniforms and changed, Arthur and Merlin set about trying to find what it was they were searching for.

They heard shouts echoing down the corridors. Arthur turned around to face the direction of the chanting. He visibly swallowed.

"This way," they ran down the corridor at top speeds, they couldn't know for sure what the crowds were cheering for but there was something in Arthur that told him that that was exactly where she was. It was a strange feeling, but oddly it was somewhat comforting.

There was no comfort, however, in the scene before them as they emerged behind the frock of people. He could see her, and the wildren, "Gwen," he said breathlessly, eying up the side of the cage and the people surrounding it.

He ran at it, planting his foot on the first support, somehow managing to launch himself over the top and land on the balls of his feet. He turned at he stood, drawing his sword from the scabbard attached to his belt.

"Arthur?"

He didn't answer her, just slashed his sword in the direction of the creature, grabbing Gwen's wrist and pulling her behind him, "Merlin!"

The young sorcerer looked in his friend's direction; he was momentarily distracted from joining them when Hengist advanced on him. The large man was setting his guards on Arthur, or at least trying to, none of them seemed to want to join the creature in the cage.

Taking matters into his own hands, Hengist produced a cross bow from beside his throne like chair, Merlin looked up, he saw a chandelier above the man's head, taking his chance he muttered a spell and watched as the ropes holding it snapped. He watched as the larger man dodged it, but throwing him out of aiming range.

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur was guiding Gwen out of the cage via the ramp the creature must have entered by. Merlin pushed past an unwillingly guard and ran through the open door to the cage, and after Arthur, slimly missing the tusks of the beast.

He saw his friends running in front of him, Arthur leading Gwen by the hand in the direction of safety. Following the tunnel would lead them outside. Merlin could hear the clink of chain mail coming after them; "Arthur!" the blonde man turned and saw the guards following them.

"Keep going!" He ordered, pushing Merlin off in the direction of Gwen, she resisted refusing to move, Merlin a few steps ahead of them, "Go!"

"Arthur-"

"Guinevere, go!" he ordered, Merlin grabbing her hand and pulling her in the direction of the wrought iron bars that lead to the outside world. They would be safer there than with Arthur, it wouldn't take him long to knock the guards down and run after them.

The guards advanced on Arthur, slashing their swords at him, swinging them left them right, Arthur fending them off in a couple of blows, landing a couple of punches to their jaws. Merlin looked on as Gwen willed Arthur to beat them. With her distracted Merlin turned his back on her, raising his hand on the bars.

"Patefacio porta," he whispered, a quite clunk alerting him that the spell had worked, "Gwen," he called out, pulling on the sleeve of Morgana's dress and urging her out of the door to immediate safety, "He'll be fine, come on."

Uncertain, Gwen looked at him and back to Arthur, who was now running towards them having knocked the guards to the ground. A small smile graced her lips and she ran after Merlin.

* * *

Arthur sat snapping twigs, throwing them at the decreasing flames. He felt awkward. He had saved her from the beast, even going against his father's wishes to do so. He couldn't even look her in the eye. What made it worse was the stupid smile at Merlin had been flashing him all evening. Now though, he was slumped against the log he had been previously sat on snoring softly, chin against his chest.

He threw a small stick down into the fire and stood, "I'm going to find us some more fire wood," Gwen nodded awkwardly. She didn't feel right in her Lady's dress and with the added notion that Arthur had come, with only Merlin at his side to save her, it made it extra awkward. With Merlin asleep though, she didn't fancy being left in the forest after last time.

"Arthur?" he turned to face her, managing to drop all the fire wood he had been holding. He blushed feeling the fool.

"Guinevere."

"I just wanted to say," she faltered, "Well, thank you. I know you didn't have to come."

"I couldn't just leave you, Guinevere," looking at his hands, playing with his own fingers, he didn't notice her approaching him until she was standing right in front of him, in Morgana's dress. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

"I'm not anything, Arthur, I'm just a servant, and you didn't need to come all this way for me."

"You're _not_ just a servant. Not to me," he looked her in the eye, barely even blinking. It was that moment again. Where neither of them was saying anything, just staring at each other. The only thing missing was a token. And well, a tournament and her little cottage and safety.

Unlike then, Arthur was nervous. He didn't think about what he was doing then, he didn't contemplate the repercussions of his actions until afterwards. Now though, they had already been here, he'd told her that it couldn't be. Yet here they were again: status be damned.

He took one of her hands, lacing his fingers through her dark, 'servants' fingers. He raised her hand to his lips; a small smile turned the corners of his lips as he gently kissed her knuckles. He watched her intently as she smiled nervously.

He moved his hand from hers, threading his fingers through her loose curls, she stepped forward slightly, letting him know that it was alright, and that she wanted it.

"Wah!"

Gwen jerked away from Arthur, turning her head to see what the source of the noise had been. She couldn't help but curse Merlin in her head. He'd fell face first over a tree root and into the mud. If looks could kill, Arthur's murderous glance would have struck down the manservant a thousand times over.

"I wondered where you'd gon- oh," a sly smirk spread across his lips, causing Gwen to look away her cheeks darkening with a blush, just about managing to hiding behind her loose hair, "I'll just go," he ran back towards the camp as fast as he could.

Gwen cleared her throat, the moment suddenly gone, and now instead of nice and slightly romantic, it was awkward and incredibly embarrassing, "I should go too," she mumbled, her normal inability to stop talking gone.

"Yeah," Arthur replied feebly, clearing his throat and crouching to pick up the wood he had dropped before. He watched the trail of the dress as she walked away. The graceful flow of the material hanging from her body in all the ways it should. He cursed himself for looking at her in the way he was, he would have lynched anybody else for doing so. But his thoughts, oddly, were purely innocent.

He couldn't help but think how much she looked like a Queen.


	4. The End

The next morning, Arthur was still in a mood with Merlin. They didn't have many rations left, but they had enough to fulfil their hunger until they reached Camelot again.

With Merlin eyeing him suspiciously, Arthur didn't think it a good idea to pursue what was about to happen yesterday, it would be nearly guaranteed that Merlin would find a way to ruin the moment all over again. Like he had the first time he had nearly kissed her the evening before he had.

They set off, Arthur with some vigour, not wanting to wait in the awkwardness more than necessary. But with Merlin walking by the side of the horses, they couldn't trot on. As much as he wanted to right now, he knew Merlin would just get lost on his own if he left him behind.

They idly chit-chatted as the horses progressed towards Camelot - Arthur staying unnaturally quiet - Merlin taking it upon himself to 'keep their spirits up'. Arthur had switched off about an hour before, and he was pretty sure from her 'Uh huh', 'really?'s that Gwen had too. She was just more skilled at attaining a steady flow of replies to Merlin's inane attempts at entertainment.

-

She couldn't help but smile when she saw the turrets of the castle through the last trees of the forest. It meant home. Home is where the heart is, and all that. She would finally get to see Morgana after the somewhat terrifying events of the last few days. The thing was; she hadn't been expecting to ever see the place again. She thought she was at death's door, knocking heavily and lying out for the taking.

But here she was, ready to live another day, all because the Prince had come to save her.

She couldn't help but feel a little bit happier knowing that. A little bit safer. And a little bit loved.

It was times like theses, when her back ached and her feet were sore and her hands were in need of massaging, that Gwen wished she had a bath in her little house. But that would require a ridiculous amount of carting water from the well and she didn't feel up to doing that.

As they reached the walls of the city, riding over the draw bridge and through the streets she knew as home, Gwen smiled at those she knew. One lady waved at her, at the same time as giving Arthur a suspicious eye. She approached the horse Gwen was riding, Merlin now chattering away to Arthur; "Be careful, Gwen. Men like him, they ask for too much."

Gwen didn't reply, she just acknowledged her words and smiled warily at the women. She turned her attention to the man riding in front of her; he wasn't like that, was he? She shook the thoughts from her mind, he had been nothing but honourable to her before now. Only time would tell.

The archway into the courtyard had never been a more welcome sight. She basked in the sunlight as it baked the stone of the walls. She could feel the other servant's eyes on her back. Realising she was still in Morgana's attire and still coated in dirt and dry sweat.

How she could be found remotely attractive to _anyone_ right now she would never know.

Arthur dismounted his horse, leaving the fine stallion with Merlin – who was petting its nose – and headed towards her. He offered her his hand and helped her down off of the horse's back. There was nothing uncommon about the action even if she was a servant. He was just being the Prince, being a gentleman because he could.

Silently, he led the way into the castle, heading directly for Morgana's chambers, Gwen in tow.

It didn't take much to find her, even out of her room she was stood outside of them. Arthur took a few paces ahead of Gwen and smiled to himself.

Alerted to his presence, Morgana turned to see him, not in his clothes, a sombre look on his face and, for what she could see, no Gwen.

"There's someone who wants to see you," He said, unable to keep the mirth from his voice, he stepped aside, revealing a battered Gwen behind him, the servant girl running up the stone steps and into her lady's arms.

Unaware of what Morgana was saying to her, Gwen clung to her dearest friend for dear life; being swung around so she was now facing Arthur. He smiled softly at her, a smile which she returned. He gave a shot wave of his fingers and turned to walk away.

She would see him later.

-

Having intercepted Merlin on his way to giving Arthur his dinner, Gwen rapped on the door to his lordship's chambers and waited for a reply.

"About time, _Mer_lin!" he chastised, which Gwen took as a sign that she was allowed to enter.

"I am not, Merlin, my lord," she watched Arthur stop in his pacing steps, and turn around in a snap to face her.

"Guinevere?"

"My lord," she led his tray of food on the table, the chef had been extra generous that evening, giving him more than usual due to his journey and gallivanting.

"Thank you."

"I should be saying that to you," she said, standing again. Arthur didn't move to take a seat to eat, just stood and looked at her.

"You already did," he pointed out.

"I know, but I could never thank you enough," she reasoned, flattening her apron against her skirts, "So thank you."

"Any time," he paused, an awkward silence filling the space between them, Gwen shuffled on the balls of her feet, waiting for him to dismiss her, but the instruction never came, and when she looked up at him she could see that he looked equally as undecided as she felt, "Guinevere, what happened in the forest-"

"Your father would never understand, I know."

"That's not what I was going to say," he admitted, stepping over to her and repeating his movements from the day before, "He wouldn't let anybody come and save you. Even though Morgana was kicking up a fuss, I came for you against his orders."

"He won't be pleased."

"I do not care what my father thinks. I couldn't just leave you there," Gwen smiled, blushing and looking away from him. Arthur ran his thumb over her cheek, tilting her head back up to look at him, "I didn't do this for him, and I'm certainly not doing this for him either," he ducked his head slightly, holding her as close to him as he dared. Last time they'd kissed their bodies hardly been touching; now he feared if he let go, he'd never get her back.

Unlike their first kiss, this was nervous, and short. But its brevity bought about a whole new dimension. As Arthur pulled away from her, Gwen gently chewed on her lip, a nervous habit that only caused Arthur to smile at her. He waited for her to make the next move.

She raised a hand, bringing it to the side of his face, ghosting her fingers over his skin before it found roots in his hair. He took it as a sign that he could kiss her again. This time he applied more pressure, Gwen leaning back slightly, massaging her fingers over his scalp.

A contented sigh left Gwen lips. Arthur taking advantage of her now open mouth and gently ran his tongue over her lips.

This was beyond anything Gwen had ever experienced before now. But she couldn't say she didn't like it, because she would be lying if she did. Just the way Arthur was holding her, the way his mouth moved against hers, the way his tongue moved _with_ hers. Everything was just so perfect.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

--

**Thank you to everybody who has reviewed this story along the way: xxkissesandcuddlesxx, casualp, coffee dazed, brightfire15, theangelgirl1992, babybee61, midnight-hearts-love, ArthurXGwen, SuzzieSidle, sweety1516 and Guardian izz.**

**Special shout out to coffee dazed because she has stuck with me through multi-fandoms 3**


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